Infinite Space
by rossandrachelforever
Summary: An accident in high school changes lives forever. Chapter 5 now up! (Chandler and Monica, Ross and Rachel.)
1. Default Chapter

Infinite Space   
  
As usual, the characters of this story belong to David Crane, Marta Kauffman and Kevin S. Bright. If I owned them, I certainly wouldn't be writing about them. Anyway, this fic starts back in 1987, when they're teenagers. Depending on reviews, I will continue… so here's my fic.   
  
New York Daily, November 17th, 1987   
  
A car crash on George Washington Bridge last night has left four dead. Two cars travelling at moderate speeds collided as one car hit black ice, which was spread across the bridge. The car spun out of control and slid into the left lane, pushing a family car into the guard-rail, setting it aflame. As police rushed to the scene, the car continued to burn, and all in the family car were pronounced dead at the scene. In the car were two adults by the names Leonard and Sandra Green (47 and 46), as well as two of their three children, Alicia and Jill Green (15 and 14). One Rachel Green (16) survives the Green family. Accident is being investigated, and it is unconfirmed if any charges will be pressed   
  
The single newspaper clipping hung on the bare white wall of a teenager's bedroom. Bags lay packed on the floor, suitcases cluttered the entrance to the room, posters had been torn down, and a crying girl sat on her sheet-less bed while the movers began to tow away all of her belongings.   
"Ms. Green?" One of the movers asked her quietly and politely.   
She brought her head out of her hands and looked up with her tear stained face. She looked around her bedroom and noticed that all of her stuff was gone. Her eyes were a terrible bloodshot red.   
"We need to move the bed." The mover said, gesturing to the bed she was sitting on.   
She got up wordlessly.   
"Some people are waiting outside for you." He said again.   
She nodded her head quickly, and headed out her door. She turned back to look at her room one last time. She walked down the upstairs hallway slowly, averting her eyes from the bedrooms of her deceased parents and sisters, She felt a sob catch in her throat as she passed a family portrait that had been taken a mere two years ago. They had all looked so happy. She walked past it quickly, and went down the stairs for the last time. The emotions were rising to the surface, and she didn't know if she wanted to cry or scream or do both. She ran the rest of the way out of the house. The bright sunlight struck her, and she raised her arms to hide her face.   
"Rachel." A voice called from her left.   
She waited a minute before her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the light, and turned to see who it was.   
"Monica." Rachel said quietly.   
Monica rushed over and hugged her fiercely.   
Rachel hugged her back half-heartedly   
"I am so sorry." Monica sobbed.   
"I know you are." Rachel mumbled. She was all out of tears.   
Jack and Judy Geller sat in the front of their station wagon, while Ross stood outside, leaning against the car. He wasn't great friends with Rachel, but he felt that he knew her pretty well, considering he had had a crush on her for almost four years. She had helped Monica lose weight, and now she was even more beautiful that she had gotten her nose reduced.   
"Do you think it's a good idea?" Jack asked his wife and son.   
"I don't know if it's a good idea, I just know that we have to do it. She has no where else to go and Monica is her best friend." Judy answered.   
"I think it's a good idea." Ross said confidently. "She'll just need some time to get used to the change though, that's all."   
His parents nodded agreeably. They had volunteered to let Rachel live with them until she went to college, and was old enough to live on her own. Rachel had no surviving relatives, just a dog named LaPooh. They had also agreed to take the dog in, because they felt that they couldn't take anything more away from Rachel at the moment. She had already lost everything that had mattered in her life. Monica and Rachel began walking slowly toward the car, while Rachel looked back at her mansion forlornly. Ross stepped forward to greet her, and hugged her softly. He didn't have to say anything, his actions said it all. He helped her into the car, and they drove off, leaving her childhood home empty and desolate. She turned her head away and buried her tear streaked faces into Ross's shoulder. He looked at her, surprised before he put his arm around her and began stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Ross looked sympathetically at her as his parents and Monica snuck glances at the two of them.   
  
When they reached the familiar Geller household, Rachel walked In feeling like a stranger. Monica took her arm and led her to her new room, which was right beside Ross's. She understood that Rachel would probably want to be alone, so she left and closed the door behind herself. Her new room was also empty and strangely haunting. The movers would be here soon to move in her stuff. She wouldn't be going back to school for quite a while, so she would be alone with Ross during the days. Monica would be at school, while her parents would be at work. Ross had a semester break, and would be returning to NYU after the Christmas holidays. She heard the doorbell downstairs ring. She knew that it would be the movers. She didn't want to be in the room when they came in, or the questions would start to come.   
"I read about your family in the paper, it must be tough."   
It was tough, and she needed to escape. She opened her door quickly and quietly, and not watching where she was going, walked into Ross who was also exiting his room.   
"Oh. Sorry." Rachel muttered   
"No apology needed." Ross smiled.   
Rachel heard people walking up the stairs, and her eyes began to scan the hallway looking for an escape. The bathroom was on the other end of the hallway and she would have to pass the stairs to get there.   
"Come here." Ross said as he pulled her into his bedroom and locked the door. "you're safe here, if you want." He said sheepishly.   
"Thanks." Rachel sighed gratefully. "How did you know?"   
"That you were looking for an escape? I just knew." Ross said simply as he flopped down on his twin sized bed and opened a book. "Make yourself comfortable, you might be here for a while."   
Rachel nodded and began to walk around his room. It was fairly large, and was covered in dinosaur memorabilia. Ross pretended to be reading, but he glanced over the edge of his book as she looked around his room. He really wanted to talk to her, to make her feel better, but he knew that nothing could make her feel better now. It would take time. He watched as she made her way around his room, and then she stopped. It took Ross a minute to realize that she was crying.   
"Oh, hey. Don't cry." He said as he jumped up to hold her. She held onto him tightly and sobbed quietly into his shoulder. Outside they heard people moving around, bringing Rachel's stuff up.   
"Where's Ms. Green?" They heard someone ask.   
"I don't know. Let me go see."   
They heard her walk up to the other end of the hallway, where the bathroom was, and back.   
"Ross?" Judy asked as she knocked on the door. "Do you know where Rachel is?"   
"Uh, no... but ask Monica. She's in her room." Ross answered quickly.   
They heard Judy leave.   
"Thank you." Rachel sniffled. "I just need some time, some privacy so I can get used to all these changes."   
"Don't say another word. I totally understand." Ross said knowingly.   
Rachel sat down on the edge of his bed, before she flopped down. He lay down calmly beside her, and they both stare up at the fake, plastic, glow-in-the-dark stars that covered his ceiling. Ross got up and turned off the light, then crawled back in beside Rachel. They both watched the stars, and after a few minutes of silence, Rachel spoke.   
"So, dinosaurs huh?"   
Ross began laughing silently, and soon was laughing so hard that his stomach hurt. After a full two minutes of laughter, Rachel couldn't help but join in. That was the beginning to a bonding of a great friendship.   
  
Thanks for reading! The next part will be longer I hope. Also, please review, as I will continue my story pending the reviews. Yes, I know I'm mean:)   
rossandrachelforever


	2. Brighter Stars

Ross and Rachel's friendship continues to build leaving Monica a bit jealous. Ross introduces them to his friend Chandler. (Chandler and Monica, and Ross and Rachel.)  
Brighter Stars  
  
Hours later, they were still lying talking on Ross's bed. Ross was even more surprised that she was opening up to him of all people. Judy had come by several times and heard them talking, so she decided to leave them alone. She told the movers to put her stuff wherever they thought that it looked best.  
Judy knocked quietly on Ross's door after walking by for what seemed the millionth time that night.  
"Ross? Dinner's on the table." She said through the door.  
Once Judy had left, Ross got up and opened his door.  
"No thanks. I'm not really hungry." Rachel answered quietly.  
"Are you sure? I could bring some up for you and then help you unpack your stuff." Ross said timidly.  
"That would be great." Rachel said. "You mind if I stay here until I get back?"   
"Oh, by all means. I'll be back in two minutes." Ross said as he closed the door after himself.  
Ross walked downstairs and into the kitchen  
"Rachel's not eating, son?" Jack asked him.  
"Yeah she is. I'm just going to bring our food upstairs." Ross said as he picked up two plates and cutlery, and began to load the plates.  
"Our?" Monica questioned.  
"Yeah I'm going to eat with her."  
"Well me too! Then I'll help her unpack." Monica said eagerly.  
"Uh, nono. She just wants me. She wants to talk to me, and then she asked me to help her unpack so…" Ross said quickly.  
"Oh. I understand." Monica said dejectedly  
Ross rushed out of the kitchen and up to his room where Rachel sat rifling through a load of magazines that sat on his desk.  
"Yeah dinosaurs, I know." Ross said as he closed the door with his foot and set down the plates.  
"I noticed." Rachel said. "Mmm. It looks good."   
"Don't start without me, I'll be right back."  
Ross came upstairs a minute later with two glasses of orange juice and LaPooh.  
"LaPooh!" Rachel said as her dog jumped up onto Ross's bed and lay beside her.  
"Let's eat." Ross said taking a seat on the floor.  
"This is the first time I've eaten in three days. I never noticed how hungry I was." Rachel said through a mouthful of chicken.  
"Me neither!" Ross joked as he noticed that she was almost done and he had yet to take his second bite.  
"Do you want more?" He asked her.  
"I think I can get it myself." Rachel said as she got up with her plate in hand.  
"Alright." Ross responded.  
Three plates later, Rachel declared with a small burp that she was full.  
"FINALLY" Ross joked. "Let's go check out your room. Come on LaPooh."   
He got up and held out his hand to help Rachel up. She grabbed his hand and held on for a lot longer than she needed to. They could both feel the warmth and comfort of each other's presence. After a moment's silence, Ross asked her,  
"Scared?"  
"Uh-huh. Just a little." Rachel nodded.  
"Well, come on then." Ross said as he pulled her, all the while holding her hand as if she were a little girl crossing the street with her father.  
They walked slowly to her room, hearing the floorboards creak below the weight of their feet. Ross walked ahead and pushed open the door.  
"It's… nice." Rachel declared with a nod. "A lot of space."  
"Yeah right. Compared to your old room?" Ross asked.  
"Well… no. Let's get started, shall we?" Rachel asked.  
"Definitely." Ross answered.  
While they worked they continued to talk, and they didn't mind working. Whenever Rachel would pull an object out of a box that reminded her of her family, she would be silent for a minute as she remembered. During these pauses, Ross would continue to unpack, and not interrupt her.  
"Huh." Rachel muttered thoughtfully.  
"What?"  
"I have too many clothes. It won't fit in the closet." Rachel said  
"Well, I have a lot of extra closet space, if you want to put it there. My friends will think I'm really weird, but I can live with that." Ross said,  
"Well, I guess I can do that until I find another solution." Rachel said quietly.  
"Alright. Other than that, I think we're done! Whoohoo!" Ross exclaimed happily.  
"Great. Whoa! It's 2 o clock already?" Rachel noted.  
"Come to think of it, I am pretty tired. I'll hang up your clothes in my closet, than go to bed." Ross said with a yawn.  
"Okay." Rachel replied.  
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Ross asked.  
"Well…" Rachel started to say  
"Hold on a sec. I think I've got a sleeping bag. I can sleep on the floor if you want." Ross suggested.  
"I have a double bed." Rachel gestured to her bed.  
"You want me to sleep in the bed with you?" Ross asked, surprised.  
"Is there something wrong?" Rachel asked.  
"No, just let me get my PJ's on." Ross answered.  
Minutes later Ross returned with an oversized shirt and boxers on. He crawled into bed beside Rachel.  
"Good night." Rachel said to him  
"Good night." He answered sleepily   
Ross was asleep instantly, and while Rachel tried to sleep, she couldn't. An hour later Ross woke up to a restless Rachel beside him, staring at the empty ceiling.  
"Can't sleep?" Ross asked her quietly.  
"No. Strange room." Rachel answered.  
"Hold on a sec." Ross said, climbing out of her bed. He left the room and returned immediately with a sheet in his hand. He climbed up onto the bed and began sticking glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the ceiling.  
Rachel watched as he stuck them on and climbed back in bed beside her.  
"Thank you." Rachel said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.  
  
I'm floating down a river  
Oars freed from their holes long ago  
Lying face up on the floor of my vessel  
I marvel at the stars  
And feel my heart overflow  
  
Two weeks without my lover  
I am in this boat alone  
Floating down a river named 'emotion'  
Will I make it back to shore?  
Or drift into the unknown?  
  
I'm building an antenna  
Transmissions will be sent when I'm through.  
Maybe we'll meet again further down the river,  
And share what we both discovered…  
Then revel in the view.  
  
They finally both fell asleep.  
  
The next day when Rachel woke up, she found the bed empty beside her, and heard voices coming from downstairs. She knew that Monica was at school and that both of her parents were at work, so she wondered who Ross could be talking to. She pulled on a pair of jeans and an oversized T-shirt and began to head downstairs slowly, listening to their conversation as she crept slowly down the stairs. She smoothed over her hair, and headed into the living room where Ross sat with a friend.  
"Hey, Rach. How are you feeling?" Ross asked as he jumped out of his conversation.  
"I'm good." Rachel answered.  
"Whoa, who died?" His friend asked with a small laugh.  
"DUDE!" Ross snapped at him as Rachel's lower lip trembled slightly. His friend took a second and his face turned red.  
"Oh my god. I am so sorry. I use humor as a defense mechanism, and I don't realize but sometimes it hurts people, and I am such an idiot." He said as he put his head down in his hands.  
"Rachel, Chandler, Chandler, Rachel." Ross introduced them.  
"It's okay." Rachel said quietly. "There's no way you could have known."  
"Yeah, but I'm an idiot for saying something like that and not even knowing--" Chandler started  
"Yeah, you are." Ross joked as he lightly punched Chandler.  
Chandler punched him back, and soon they were in a full-fledged fight rolling around the carpet while laughing.  
"Men." Rachel said as she laughed slightly and shook her head.   
"Oh. I forgot you were here." Ross said sheepishly. "Chandler, get off me you juvenile. We're too old to fight." He finished smugly.  
"Right." Chandler sneered.  
"You want some breakfast, Rach?" Ross asked her kindly.  
"Sure. That would be great." Rachel answered.  
"Actually, You know Ross I haven't eaten yet, so that's be nice for me too." Chandler said. "Now run along my servant."  
Ross punched him one last time before he went into the kitchen to cook up breakfast.  
"So…" Rachel said as she sat down beside Chandler on the couch. "You a friend of Ross's?"  
"No. We hate each other, but we spend every day together." Chandler said.  
"You're really sarcastic." Rachel noted.  
"Yeah I know. I HATE that." Chandler nodded. "No, me and Ross are best friends at college… but this is the first time I've been to his house."   
"Really? Have you met his little sister?" Rachel asked.  
"No. I heard she was fat though." Chandler said.  
"No. not anymore. She lost the weight." Rachel corrected. "So how did you meet Ross?"   
"We're roommates, and we both play in the same band." Chandler said.  
"SHUT UP CHANDLER!" Ross yelled from the kitchen.  
"Okay, enough on that subject." Chandler winked at her.  
"Chandler, you can help me here, you know?" Ross said from the kitchen.  
"I know." Chandler said as he continued to sit.  
"I'll help you out." Rachel said as she began to get up.  
"No, Rach. I'm fine. Chandler…" Ross began to say.  
"You just said you were fine!" Chandler complained.  
"Okay, you know what? We'll both go." Rachel said as she pulled Chandler off the couch. "Let me just go clean up."  
Rachel left to use the washroom, and Chandler went into the kitchen to help Ross make scrambled eggs.  
"So, that's her, huh? The one you've been obsessed with for years?" Chandler asked.  
"Shhh!" Ross shushed him, then whispered, "It's just not the right time. She's going to be living with m e. It'd be too weird."  
"I see." Chandler said as he began to make toast.  
Rachel came back a minute later just in time catch breakfast hot. They all sat down at the table and ate in comfortable silence. Ross kept unconsciously darting glances at Rachel from across the table before Chandler finally kicked him to stop.  
"OW!" Ross yelped.  
"Oh, I'm sorry. That was an accident." Chandler emphasized on 'accident'.  
"What time is it?" Rachel asked suddenly.  
"Well, it's a bit late for breakfast, but… it's 2 o'clock." Ross said.  
"I slept that long?" Rachel asked. "Why didn't you wake me up?"  
"Because you were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you." Ross said.  
"What time is Monica coming home?" Rachel interrupted  
"She has a spare last period, so she should actually be coming home really soon. Hey, maybe you can actually meet her, Chandler" Ross added excitedly  
"Yay." Chandler said sarcastically. "I SERIOUSLY don't know why I do that."   
Just then the door opened and Monica's voice came floating down the hallway.  
"It smells good! What's cooking?" Monica asked.  
"Hey Mon." Ross said as he pushed aside his food and went to greet her in the hallway. Chandler followed behind him. "This is my friend Chandler."  
Monica took off her large dark sunglasses to get a better look at him, and found herself smiling. He had clear blue eyes, and an amazing smile. She found herself immediately attracted to him. She plopped her small backpack and purse on the floor, took off her jean jacket revealing a white tank top, and went to shake his hand. His hand was cool, but gave off an eccentric warmth at the same time.  
"Hey, I'm Monica." She smiled a bright white smile at him.  
"H-hey. I'm uh," Chandler had to take a deep breath to calm down. "I'm Chandler." He smiled as the sunlight from the open door basked around her making her seem like a goddess.  
Ross and Rachel watched off to the side with slight smiles on their faces also. Something about the goofiness of Monica and Chandler made them smile.  
When Monica turned to close the door after her, Chandler smoothed over his hair and straightened his shirt.  
"How you feeling, Rach?" Monica asked as she walked by Chandler to hug Rachel, leaving Chandler smelling the vanilla scented air behind her.  
"I feel better." Rachel said as she fell into the hug.  
"I became the most popular girl in school today when everyone found out you were living with me." Monica shook her head in disbelief, but wore a small smile on her face. "I got all these for you." Monica pulled out a pile of notes and cards from her back pack and handed them to Rachel.  
"Aw." Rachel sniffed.   
"The big heart one is from Chip." Monica pointed.  
"Oh." Rachel said as she picked it out and tossed it in the garbage.  
Ross hid a smile and gave Chandler the thumbs up sign, while he distractedly smiled back.  
"You want to go hang out in my room?" Ross whispered in Rachel's ear. "We can give them some privacy."  
Rachel nodded slightly.  
"Okay, let's go." Ross took her hand and led her upstairs behind him.  
Rachel smiled apologetically at Monica who was staring after them with a look of envy on her face.  
"What's wrong?" Chandler immediately asked.  
"Well, me and Rachel used to be best friends and do everything, but ever since she moved in, she's always been with Ross." Monica pouted.  
"Well, maybe there's a reason behind it." Chandler pointed out.  
"What do you mean?" Monica asked.  
"Well, Ross has liked her for more than 5 years, maybe he finally feels like he's connecting to her in some way. She's not being a bitch to him anymore." Chandler stated.  
"Ross likes Rachel?" Monica asked loudly.  
Chandler quickly covered her mouth with his hand, and listened for a second to hear if they might have heard, but al he heard was the TV blaring upstairs.  
"You didn't know?" Chandler removed his hand from over mouth slowly.  
"No! He kept complaining about what a bitch she was. I thought he hated her." Monica laughed. "But that is so sweet! I didn't know that. He told you that?"  
"Yes." Chandler said, "Yes."  
"I guess we leave them alone then!" Monica said. "Let's go somewhere." She grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door before he could protest.  
  
"It's kind of quiet down there." Rachel pointed out about a couple of hours later  
"Maybe they're doing something I don't want to know about." Ross said as he sipped at his beer calmly.  
"Well, I want to know." Rachel said deviously, as she leapt off of Ross's bed.  
"Well…" Ross began to protest. "Wait up!" He said as he jumped out of his chair and chased after her down the stairs.  
"They're not here." Rachel frowned as she stood in the center of the dark living room.  
"Huh." Ross said as he peeked out of the drapes. "Chandler's car is gone."  
"Huh." Rachel smiled. "I wonder what they're doing…"  
  
Monica and Chandler sat in the local mall sharing a pizza with the works.  
Monica was slowly working on her second slice while Chandler grabbed for his fourth.  
"What did you say to her?" Monica laughed.  
"I told her that if she wanted it, she could go run after the garbage truck." Chandler grinned as Monica burst out laughing.  
"Well, well." A voice said from behind them. Monica turned to look at them and the smile dropped off of her face.  
"H-hey." Monica said nervously.  
"Getting fat again Monica?" One of the girls that were all dressed in cheerleading outfits said to her, as they all laughed.  
"And what's this? Paying a guy to take you out? Looks like you're finally getting somewhere you fatso." The girl that stood in front mocked her.  
"Mandy, don't. Not here." Monica said with a note of fear in her voice.  
"Oh, not in front of your paid date?" Mandy teased her cruelly.  
"She didn't pay me to take her out. I asked her to come here." Chandler spoke up.  
"And a cute one as well." Mandy flirted with Chandler and walked over to ruffle his hair.  
He threw off her hand, and Mandy backed away, flustered.  
"And how is your geek brother Ross doing? Get any worse? Actually, I don't think that's possible." One of the girls at the back said, sending them laughing again.  
Monica was looking down at the floor with tears in her eyes, struggling not to let them out.  
"Oh, what's wrong Monica? Are you going to cry?" Mandy mocked sympathy.  
"No." Monica's voice trembled.  
"Leave her alone." Chandler commanded.  
"Oh, sticking up for her now, are we." Mandy asked. "Oh, did she happen to mention what happened last week at school?"  
"Mandy." Monica's voice broke as a tear slid down her face. "Stop it now."  
"Oh, you want to tell it?" Mandy asked.  
Monica shook her head as Chandler looked on pityingly.  
"The ugliest and fattest guy asked you to prom as a joke and you said yes? How stupid did you feel when he dumped you 20 minutes later and told you it was a joke in the middle of the cafeteria while everyone watched? And how about when he high-fived all of his loser friends?" Mandy asked while the girls behind her giggled.  
Monica jumped up, knocking over her chair and sending her pizza flying onto her, which left Mandy and her friends laughing harder. The tears were flowing freely now, and she grabbed her purse and ran out of the pizzeria while the whole place laughed at her.  
Chandler gave Mandy a final evil glance before hurrying to catch Monica. He caught up to her in the parking lot, where she had fallen on the ground and was sobbing hysterically.  
"Monica, Mon. Are you alright?" Chandler asked her, worried. He leaned down to help her up, but she pushed him off and grabbed onto a car for support.  
"I'm fine." She huffed tearfully and began to walk away from him.  
"Monica." Chandler raced after her and grabbed her arm and turned her around.  
"Chandler, I want to get out of here! Just let me go! The last thing I need is your sympathy." She angrily tore her arm away as the tears continued to flow.   
"My car's over there." Chandler pointed.  
"I don't want to go back with you." Monica shook her head as the sobs began to take over her again.  
"What? Why not?" Chandler asked gently as he lifted up her chin with a finger.  
"Because I'm humiliated. I can't look you in the face. I lost all that weight, and all they do is make fun of me more, and I can't take this anymore!" Monica sobbed hysterically.  
"They're jealous because you're so beautiful." Chandler said gently to her.  
"No. They're making my life miserable. Everyone does." Monica moaned.  
"Monica, listen to me." Chandler took her by the shoulders, but Monica pushed him off.  
"Good job Monica!" Mandy yelled across the parking lot. "Push away the only guy that will ever look at you!"  
"Hey." Chandler began to walk angrily over to Mandy.  
"She's running away! You better go catch her." Mandy pointed.  
"Shit." Chandler took off after Monica who was already across the parking lot.  
He continued to chase her through a residential street, gaining a bit on her every minute.  
"Monica stop!" Chandler gasped breathlessly as she turned a corner. He turned the same corner a few seconds later, but didn't see her anywhere.  
"Monica?" Chandler yelled as he stopped for the first time since the beginning of the pursuit. He looked around him at the houses, and sighed disappointedly.  
He sat down, discouraged and put his head in his hands. He was sweating heavily, and his breath was short and quick. He stood up and walked around the block, but didn't find her. He disappointedly walked back slowly to the mall where he had parked his car. The lot was almost empty, as the mall closed at 7 every night. He looked around once more into the fading sunlight, and got in his car and drove back to Ross's house.  
  
Back at Ross and Monica's house, Ross and Rachel were playfully having an arm wrestle on Ross's bed.  
"I win again!" Ross flexed his muscles.  
Rachel sighed in defeat.  
"One more round, please?" She begged him.  
"Fine, one more." Ross agreed. They both stuck out their arms to wrestle, but as Ross began to gain on her, she brought out her other hand and tried wrestling him with both.  
"Ahh!" Rachel screamed as even with two arms Ross was winning. She stood up and pounced on his back, causing his arm to twist around weirdly.  
"Ow!" Ross shouted playfully as his arm went down, and Rachel shouted victoriously.  
"No! That doesn't count!" Ross whined as Rachel pumped her arms in victory.  
"Sure it does!" Rachel smiled.  
"Fine another game. Anything goes." Ross said.  
"No" Rachel said.  
"Why not? Afraid I'm going to win?" Ross asked her.  
"No…" Rachel said, unsure.  
"Oh come here and play!" Ross said as Rachel jumped over his bed onto the other side.  
He jumped right back over and cornered her.  
"NO! You can't make me!" Rachel laughed as Ross tickled her. She tried to run away but Ross pushed her lightly onto the bed, and landed on top of her. He stared intently into her eyes, and Rachel gulped.  
"Ross!" Chandler entered, pushing the door open. "Oh, guys I'm sorry." He said as he saw their position.  
"Oh, no." Ross said as he climbed off of Rachel. "We were just having an arm wrestle."   
Rachel nodded slightly, unable to take her eyes off of Ross.  
"Well, have you seen Monica?" Chandler cleared his throat.  
"We thought you were with her." Ross said.  
"I was, well, hold on, let me check if she's here." Chandler said nervously as he closed the door behind him and went to check all of the other rooms.  
When he came to the last one, he found it locked.  
"Monica. Please open up." Chandler leaned his head against the door.  
"Go away." She said from inside.  
Chandler nodded slightly, confused. He walked back over to Ross's room, and found Ross and Rachel sitting on the bed watching TV.  
"She's in her room guys, but I have to go, I'll see you guys later. By the way, when's prom night, Rachel?" Chandler asked  
"It's in two days. This Saturday night." Rachel answered automatically.  
"Okay thanks." Chandler said as he closed the door behind him once again.  
"Bye!" They both yelled through the door. Chandler walked slowly down the stairs, all the while watching Monica's room, to see if it would open.  
He got to the bottom of the stairs, and walked out, closing the door softly behind him.  
As soon as the door downstairs had closed, Monica crept out of her room with a tear stained face and dirt covered clothes. She went into Rachel's bedroom at the other end of the hallway, and stared out the window as Chandler's car roared out of the driveway and disappeared down the street. A fresh set of tears had begun to fall, and she quickly wiped them away, and went to the bathroom to take a shower.  
  
"I have to get to bed." Rachel said tiredly.   
"Okay." Ross nodded.  
"Where are your parents by the way?" She asked him.  
"They went out to dinner with some people. They should be back before midnight." Ross said as he stared at the TV.  
"Okay. Night." Rachel said.  
Ross jumped up to let her out and kissed her on the forehead as she left.  
"Good night Rachel." He said as he smiled after her and closed his door.  
  
The next day, Monica went to school with a heavy heart. She avoided everyone in the hallways, and ate her lunch in a stall in the bathroom, while people came in and out, staring in the mirrors, and doing their business.  
Suddenly, a familiar voice floated through the washroom and the familiar giggles followed it. It was Mandy.  
Monica cursed silently to herself, and put her feet up so that they wouldn't see that anyone was there.  
"Does this lipstick look good on me?" Mandy asked as she checked herself out in the mirror.  
"Oh yeah, definitely." Her friend responded.  
"Oh, remember that guy we ran into yesterday at the pizza place that was with fatso?" Mandy asked.  
"Yeah." They all said.  
"Well, when I got to school this morning, he was at the front door. He told me he made a stupid mistake by going out with fatso. He said he never realized that she was once fat, and he asked me out!" Mandy said excitedly.  
Monica felt her heart fall with a heavy thud, and the tears started to burn again. Her breathing became shallower and louder. Mandy and her friends noticed and turned around to stare at the stalls in disgust.  
"I think someone's taking a number two." Mandy grabbed her nose and high-tailed out the bathroom, and all her friends followed her.  
Monica's feet dropped to the floor, and waves of pain went floating to her, but she wasn't paying attention. How could she have ever thought that Chandler could be interested in her? "That shallow jerk." She muttered to herself. She heard the first bell to signal that fourth period was starting, but she ignored it. She sat there in the stall until the bell signaling the end of school day rang two hours and forty minutes later.  
She finally came out of the stall and looked at her puffy red eyes in the mirror. She didn't care anymore. She grabbed her backpack from the hangar in the stall and went out. She was immediately surrounded my hundreds of students who were happy that it was Friday night, and there was a weekend to look forward to.  
She pushed through everyone with her head down, and went outside in the brightness of the day. She squinted from being in the dark washroom for hours, and began to walk slowly down the front steps, when she bumped into Chandler… with Mandy.  
"Sorr--" She began to say, but when she saw who it was, she stopped abruptly, and held back the tears that were brimming at her eyes once again.  
"Hey there, fatso." Mandy said as she pulled Chandler's arm tighter around her.  
Chandler looked apologetically into her eyes, and he noticed that she was about to cry.  
"Let's go Mandy." Chandler said pulling her away before she could see Monica cry again.  
Monica ran blindly across the schoolyard and went straight home.  
"My god, Monica! What's wrong?" Rachel immediately jumped up when Monica came bursting through the front door crying. Rachel and Ross had been sitting wrapped up in each other's arms in front of the living room TV when Monica ran in.  
"I-I fell. I wanted to run home and clean up my cut before it got infected." She said.  
"Okay, where is it?" Ross asked as he stood up beside Rachel and adjusted his shirt.  
"I-it's nowhere." Monica rushed upstairs.  
"Okay." Ross and Rachel both said at the same time, causing them to laugh. They sat back down simultaneously on the couch, and laughed again.  
"Hey, prom is tomorrow, isn't it?" Ross asked her.  
"Yeah." Rachel nodded sadly.  
"How about we go? I mean, it would be great for me to see my old school, and you could go back for the first time... since…" Ross trailed off.  
"Together?" Rachel asked him.  
"If you wanted to." Ross said nervously.  
"Sure." Rachel smiled.  
"Great. It's settled then." He smiled back down at her and wrapped his arm around her again as she leaned her head on his shoulder.  
They sat back down on the sofa, and their thoughts went everywhere but to Monica.  
When Monica awoke the next day, Rachel was knocking on her door.  
"Monica! I'm coming to the prom with you!" She said excitedly as she ran over to the bed and flopped down beside a groaning Monica.  
"I'm not going." Monica said.  
"Why not?" Rachel asked.  
"Because I don't have a date." She mumbled.  
"So? You can go stag! A lot of people do!" Rachel shook her.  
"Are you going stag?" Monica asked.  
"Well… no, but I am going with Ross." Rachel said.  
"What?" Monica happily bolted out of bed.  
"Well, he asked me, and I thought it might be a good idea." Rachel said.  
"Okay. Fine I'll come." Monica said. "It might get my mind off of things."  
"Great!" Rachel clapped her hands excitedly and ran out the door  
Monica groaned and tried to fall back asleep, but found herself unable to. She finally got up and tiredly walked into the bathroom to take a shower.  
When she came out, Rachel was eagerly waiting for her.  
"I thought you could wear this." Rachel held out a long pale blue dress. "It'll bring out your eyes." She smiled at her.  
Monica stared at the gorgeous gown, speechless. SH grabbed the gown away from Rachel and gave her a big, tight and long hug. When she pulled away, Rachel's eyes were moist.  
"I'm sorry for not being a best friend these last few days." Rachel said.  
"With this dress, you're forgiven." Monica laughed and hugged her again. "What are you going to wear though?"  
"Come here." Rachel motioned and brought Monica into her room. She pulled out of her closet a long, elegant and equally beautiful khaki dress. It was slinky and low cut in the front and back with a long slit up the side of the leg.  
"Oh my god." Monica breathed. "You have got to let me borrow some of your clothes!"  
"Do you think Ross will like it?" Rachel asked.  
"Are you kidding? He would still love you if you wore a paper bag!" Monica blurted out, then quickly covered her mouth.  
A minute of uncomfortable silence followed.  
"Well, let me take a shower and eat, then we can do each other's hair and get ready!" Rachel said excitedly.  
"Already? What time is it?" Monica asked.   
"It's one" Rachel answered.  
"We have five hours!" Monica said tiredly.  
"Yeah well, that's the perfect amount of time. We'll be lucky if we have a minute to spare."  
  
Five hours later, Ross was waiting patiently downstairs in the living room wearing a black tie and jacket, with khaki pants to match what Rachel said she would be wearing. He had been ready for over an hour and was ready to go, and the flowers for both his sister and date were going to wilt soon. Finally, he heard movement coming down the hall, and Monica came down the stairs. Her long black hair was flowing behind her and dropped like coals in snow on her pale blue dress, which matched her eyes identically.  
As soon as Monica was down the stairs, Rachel began to descend. Her tanned legs peeked out of a slit in her dress, and Ross felt his mouth literally drop open as she walked down the stairs with her long blonde hair teased and let loose around her neck. Her dress left little for the imagination, but Ross was absolutely stunned by her beauty.  
Monica leaned over and snapped his jaw shut. He glanced at her quickly and smiled at her.  
Ross reached his hand up to help Rachel down the last three stairs, and kissed her on the cheek as he handed her one of the bundles of flowers. She smiled shyly at him, and he handed Monica the other bundle.   
"Let me get some pictures." Jack shouted off to the side.   
Ross was totally oblivious to the blinding lights of the camera, and his goofy smile. He led both of them outside to his car. Monica immediately took the back seat, letting Rachel be near Ross.  
"Wow." Ross said as he started his car.  
"You too." Rachel smiled and touched his arm, sending jolts of warmth through both of their bodies.  
Monica smiled to herself as Ross peeled away from the house.  
"Sorry I couldn't get a limo girls. It was too short notice." He said.  
"I don't mind." They both said at the same time, and smiled.  
They arrived at the school not a minute later, and Ross parked the car in the school parking lot, and looked around at the familiar surroundings. He led Rachel by the arm into the building and Monica followed closely behind. They entered into the gymnasium, and were surprised to see that there were so many people there already even though it had only started 20 minutes ago.  
"Chandler!" Ross yelled as he saw Chandler dancing with a girl in the center of the dance floor.  
Monica shrank away immediately as Chandler headed over, leaving Mandy to dance with another guy.  
"What's up man?" Chandler asked as if nothing was up.  
"Not much." Ross said. "That your date?" He pointed at Mandy.  
"Yeah, that's her." Chandler said. "What about you?"   
"Well, she's the person surrounded by all those people over there." Ross pointed at all the people fussing over Rachel.  
"Good luck dancing with her, man." Chandler laughed, then he noticed Monica. "Hey Mon."  
She didn't answer him, but she shrank behind her brother's back.  
"Mon? What's wrong?" Ross asked her.  
"Nothing." She mumbled into his back.  
"Chandler!" Mandy yelled across the room.  
"Gotta go find my date." Chandler laughed as he bounced away.  
"Funny seeing him here." Ross nodded to himself.  
"Hey Ross." A girl came up to him.  
"Hey Kimmy! You recognize me without the Afro and mustache?" He asked her playfully.  
"Sure! You look great." She said. "You want to dance?"  
"Well, my date seems occupied, so sure. I'd love to." He said as he offered her his arm and she linked her own through, leaving Monica standing there alone.  
"Who's your date?" Kimmy asked him.  
"Uh, Rachel Green." Ross answered.  
"Really? How's she doing?" Kimmy asked him.  
"I think she's doing better." Ross said as a slow song came on and he began to dance slowly with her.  
Rachel looked over to find Ross to dance but saw him dancing with someone else, so she sighed and went to walk over to Monica who was also standing alone.  
"Hey Rach." Chip cornered her.  
"Ugh hi." Rachel sighed.  
"How are you?" He asked her.  
"I'm good I guess." She said as she tried to find an escape.  
"Watch out!" Somebody yelled as a guy went crashing into Chip, sending him flying to the floor.  
"Oops" Rachel giggled and stepped over him to go over to Monica, who was sadly watching Chandler plant butterfly kisses of Mandy's neck.  
"Is that Chandler?" Rachel asked in surprise.  
"Yup." Monica answered.  
"And MANDY?" Rachel asked, even more surprised.  
"Yup." Monica answered again.  
"Ugh, she's a slut." Rachel responded, not noticing how upset Monica was.  
The slow song ended, and a barrage of fast songs played. Monica and Rachel walked around, talking to people, while Ross talked to people who he hadn't seen for almost a year. Rachel and Ross hadn't seen each other since they split up at the beginning of the evening, and it was already an hour and a half into the dance.  
"Where's Ross?" Rachel asked Monica who seemed to have gotten more and more miserable since they had left the house.  
"Over with that group of girls." Monica pointed.  
"Wow, he's pretty popular." Rachel said.  
"Well, it's probably just that he's a college man." Monica said   
Another slow song began to play, and Monica sighed. It seemed like all they played were slow songs, and since she was alone they seemed to last twice as long.  
Ross looked over at Rachel over the heads of the girls around him and signaled her over.  
"Do I finally get to dance with my date?" Rachel asked.  
"If you want to." Ross smiled at her.  
She grabbed his hand and lad him to the center of the dance floor, under a large glowing star. She pulled him close to her and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her as close as he could, and held her that way while they gently swayed to the music.  
  
30th of April  
Seems like it's turning  
But a house above the ocean   
Where our kids can laugh and play  
I called you from Paris  
To tell you that I  
Put our names on the observation deck  
Of the Eiffel Tower  
Remember those nights  
Playing Summer Wind on the jukebox  
Of the bar we used to go  
We made out in the bathroom  
Then you walked me to my house  
I tried to convince you not to go home  
  
Monica stood alone again off to the side and watched as Chandler danced with Mandy again. Chandler caught her watching them, and tried to avert his gaze but found himself unable to take his eyes away from the hollow and haunting look in her eyes.  
  
If only, I had more time  
I'd take you where you wanted to go  
It really isn't the same without you here  
If only, I had one wish  
I'd want a million trillion lifetimes  
That I could spend with you  
Fall in love with you  
Again and again  
  
1st of November 1998  
I was thinking of what to say  
When I would call  
Come over to my house  
Cause you're the one for me  
We'll drink cheap wine and  
Watch for shooting stars  
  
Ross reveled about the feeling of having Rachel in his arms. He remembered their first night together not a week ago where he stuck the glow in the dark stars on her roof. He smiled down at her just when she glanced up at him, remembering the same thing.  
  
Remember our first apartment  
Our couch was never big enough for two  
Still we'd fall asleep in each other's arms  
And wake up on the floor  
Now looking back it was made   
For me and you  
  
If only, I had more time  
I'd take you where you wanted to go  
It really isn't the same without you here  
If only, I had one wish  
I'd want a million trillion lifetimes  
That I could spend with you  
Fall in love with you  
Again and again  
  
The song ended and Ross and Rachel split unwillingly, and gazed into each other's eyes before someone asking for attention on the stage interrupted them.  
"That is not Chandler, is it?" Ross squinted.  
"It is." Rachel said as she still held Ross's hand.  
Monica watched in horror as Chandler grabbed the microphone and began to talk.  
"Hey guys, how are you tonight?" He asked the crowd that was watching him.  
He got a few cheers from the audience and continued.  
"As some of you may know, I'm in college and I'm here because I asked Mandy to come to prom with me, and she willingly came, and broke up with her boyfriend to be here tonight with me." Chandler said.   
Mandy gazed up at him happily and let out a small scream, while Monica turned away disgusted, prepared to leave.  
"But," Chandler continued quickly, seeing that Monica was edging her way to the door. "I want you to all know that this was a joke. I never liked Mandy."  
Mandy gasped and she backed away from the stage.  
"Yeah, I just thought it'd be really funny if the way she treated people was turned on her." Chandler laughed. "Look at her face, she's blotchy!"   
Monica looked on happily as Mandy finally got what she deserved.  
The laughter started somewhere in the middle, and soon everyone was laughing and pointing at her, including her friends.   
"And Monica," Chandler continued, "I am so sorry if I hurt you. I never wanted to but after she treated you that way that night, I just had to do something about it." He said as he stared at her directly in the eyes.  
Monica gasped and a slight smile started to form.  
Everyone had stopped laughing and was staring at either Monica or Chandler as they gazed at each other.  
Rachel and Ross stared in awe, biting their bottom lips, waiting to here Monica's response.  
"Monica, I'm sorry, and if you can find it in your heart to forgive a guy who is madly head over heels for you, then please, say something." Chandler said nervously.  
Monica was silent for a minute while everyone held their breath, waiting for her response.  
"I forgive you." She smiled sheepishly.  
"YOU SUCK!" Mandy yelled at Chandler  
"It doesn't fell too good, does it?" Chandler asked her. "Next time, think about how this felt before you do something to someone again. And if you ever tease Monica again, I'm going to have to hurt you." He said semi-serious. "And she is not fat! Do you not see the beautiful young woman standing over there? She's thinner than you!"  
Mandy gasped and stormed out of the gymnasium as laughter that would change the rest of her life followed her.  
"And with my request to the DJ, I would like to hear another slow song." Chandler said as he jumped off the stage into a crowd of appreciative applause. He walked straight through the crowd and to Monica, who stood alone in the iridescent glow of the star in the middle of the room. He walked right over and kissed her full on the lips, while everyone continued to clap, including Ross and Rachel as they whistled and hollered at them.  
The slow song that Chandler had requested came on, and he and Monica began to sway   
  
I've been sitting here  
Trying to find myself  
I get behind myself  
I need to rewind myself  
Looking for the pay back  
Listen for the play back  
They say that every man bleeds  
Just like me  
And I feel like number one  
Yet I'm last in line  
  
"You're so beautiful." Chandler whispered in Monica's ear.  
"Thank you." Monica shivered.  
  
I watch my youngest son  
And it helps to pass the time  
I take too many pills  
To help to ease the pain  
I made a couple dollar bills  
Still I feel the same  
Everybody knows my name  
The sad way I lie  
A lot of folks offer me  
It's hard to hang out in crowds  
  
Ross and Rachel stood near them, trying to concentrate on watching Monica and Chandler, but failing. Their attention kept going back to the way the side of Rachel's face leaned against the side Ross's. Or how Ross arms kept creeping up and down her back, sending shivers shooting up and down her spine.  
  
I guess that's the price you pay  
To be some big shot like I am  
Strange lands and one night stands  
Still I can't find love  
  
And when it all comes tumbling down  
I will always be around  
People don't know about the things I say I do  
They don't understand  
About the issues I've been through  
It's been so long since I've been home  
I've been gone  
I've been gone for way too long  
Maybe I've forgot  
All the things I miss  
Oh somehow I know there's more to life than this  
  
Chandler kissed Monica again softly and she responded the same way. They weren't really paying attention to the music, just themselves and the way their bodies were swaying together.  
  
I said it too many times   
And I still stand firm  
You get what you put in  
And people get what they deserve  
Still I ain't seen in  
No I ain't seen mine  
I've been getting   
I've been walking down that line  
So I think I'll keep walking  
With my head held high  
I keep moving on   
And only god knows why  
Only God, Only god  
Only God knows why  
Take me to the river  
Yeah, take me to the river  
  
"You want to go?" Chandler asked her softly.  
"Yeah.' She nodded.  
Chandler waved at Ross and signaled that they were going, and he nodded to them as he smiled.  
Monica leaned against Chandler and walked outside to his car, and found that the tires were slashed and someone had keyed his car so that it said, "FUCK YOU."  
"Well, I guess that's the price I pay." Chandler said calmly as he turned them both around and back into th school. They found Ross and Rachel taking a break from the dance floor outside the gym.  
"My tires are slashed." Chandler said calmly. "Are you guys planning on leaving soon?"   
"Actually, we were just about to go." Ross nodded and motioned for Rachel to come.  
Rachel followed them all outside and she got in the front seat beside Ross, while Chandler and Monica stayed in the back, cuddling.  
Ross sighed and drove them all back to his house.  
"Chandler, you can spend the night if you want. You can call a tow truck in the morning." Ross said tiredly.  
"Sounds good." He nodded.  
"Not in Monica's room." Ross added.  
"Damn." Chandler muttered jokingly. "Don't worry, I knew that."  
Ross reached their house and they all climbed out. It had been a long night and they were all tired.  
"Good night guys." Monica smiled at them and kissed Chandler slowly as they went inside. She headed straight up to her room to take off the dress and the uncomfortable shoes.  
"Yeah, Ross I'll be in your room." Chandler sensed that they needed to be alone.  
"Sure man." Ross barely noticed him.  
"So, did you have fun tonight?" Ross asked Rachel.  
"Yeah, I had fun. I got to go to my senior prom." Rachel nodded.  
"That's good." Ross said.  
"So, good night I guess." Rachel said as she backed up abruptly and ran up the stairs, leaving Ross leaning against the banister at the bottom of the stairs.  
Ross shook his head in an effort to clear his head from that night's thoughts and slowly headed up the stairs. He paused after every step as if he were thinking heavily about something. By the time he had reached the upstairs hallway, Monica's and Rachel's lights were off. He walked to his room and heard Rachel sobbing from inside.  
"Rach?" Ross knocked quietly on her door.  
"Yeah?" Rachel tried to keep her voice steady.  
"Can I come in?" Ross asked her.  
"If you want to see a train wreck, sure." Rachel said quietly.  
Ross opened her door and turned on the lights and watched the figure on the bed move up and down rhythmically with the sobs.  
"Rachel, what's wrong?" Ross asked her as he went to sit beside her on the bed, rolling her over so she was looking up at him.  
"Being there tonight, I just realized that nothing is ever going to be the same again. I'm never going to have a normal life." She sobbed.  
"Of course you will." Ross ran his fingers through her hair, pushing it off of her wet face.  
"No I won't." I'll never have the same friends, I'll never live in my old house, I'll never go away to college or anything." She cried into her pillow.  
"I'm sure going away to college can be arranged, and as for friends, I'll always be here for you. SO will Monica. You never have to worry about that." He smiled down at her as she continued to weep.  
Rachel smiled gratefully up at him through her tears.  
"And you don't look like a train wreck." Ross said to her.  
She gazed up into his eyes and watched as he leaned in closer to her and kissed her softly on the lips.  
"I-I can't." Rachel jumped back quickly.  
"I'm sorry, that was out of line." Ross stuttered.  
"No, I'm sorry." Rachel said.  
Ross got up without a word and headed out the door, turning off the lights on his way off and entering his room.  
"Hey man." Chandler said sleepily.   
Chandler was sprawled across his whole bed so after he had changed Ross grabbed a pillow from his closet and headed to sleep on the downstairs couch.  
He fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, but was awakened a half an hour later when he heard the front door close.  
"Hey, who's there?" Ross asked sleepily. There was no answer so Ross got up to look and saw that the front door was unlocked. He ran upstairs, all of a sudden awake, and went to Monica's room. When he saw that she was sleeping, he went into his parents room, where they were both sleeping. He ran to his room next, and seeing Chandler lying in his bed, he feared the worst as he opened the last door. He opened it slowly and flipped on the lights and his face fell. Rachel's bed was neatly tucked in and her teddy bear lay on top. He ran downstairs at full speed and out the front door.  
"RACHEL!" Ross screamed at the top of his lungs.  
He looked down both sides of his empty street, and ran as fast as he could down towards the main street. He arrived on the main street just as a bus was pulling away from its stop. He ran towards the bus and ran along side it, glancing in the window, when he saw her watching him from the back seat. He held his hand flat against the window as he ran as fast as he possibly could alongside it.  
"RACHEL!" He yelled again to her as he tried to keep alongside the bus that was going 40 miles per hour. The bus started to gain and Ross slowed down, out of breath, as Rachel watched from the back window and a tear slid down her face.   
"Rachel, come back!" He yelled as loud as he possibly could before the bus disappeared around a corner and out of view, possibly forever.  
  
Please Review, and I'll continue as soon as I can.   
rossandrachelforever 


	3. Falling Away From Me

Falling Away From Me  
  
The next part to Infinite Space (P.3) Hope that everyone had a great Christmas, and that you're all enjoying your holiday! Monica and Chandler's relationship progresses and Ross gets depressed as he realizes that Rachel may not come back.  
  
Ross leaned over and grabbed hold of his knees to steady himself. He suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to throw up, so he gulped in fresh oxygen as fast as he could as he collapsed on the wet grass.   
"Where would she go?" Ross asked himself as his eyes began to gather moisture. He sat there thinking for a few seconds before he came up with an answer. "Nowhere."  
Ross walked as fast as he could back to his house, holding his stomach to keep himself from falling over from the pain digging into his side. He gasped for air as he forced himself to keep moving. He saw his house ahead of him and continued to walk, his breath coming in short gasps.   
"Mom! Dad!" He yelled as he opened the door and entered his house. "Get down here!"  
He heard some scrambling upstairs so he sat down in the middle of the staircase, tying to calm himself down. Chandler was the first person who appeared at the top of the banister, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
"Chandler, Rachel took off." Ross panicked.  
"W-What? When? How?" Chandler snapped awake suddenly.  
"She just left! I chased her to the bus stop but--- she took off" Ross desperately tried to explain.  
"Ross, what's wrong?" His parents appeared beside Chandler.  
"Rachel, she just left." Ross said again, more irritated.  
"What do you mean?" Judy asked him.  
"Just get your car keys!" Ross snapped. "Chandler, can you go wake Monica?"  
"Sure." Chandler nodded, and walked over to Monica's room, knocking before entering.  
"Come in." A sleepy voice answered his knock.  
"Hey sweetie." Chandler sat down on the bed beside Monica and stroked her hair.  
"Hey." Monica smiled sleepily as one eye peered open to get a better glance  
"Monica, honey, I need you to wake up and come downstairs." Chandler whispered in her ear.  
"What? Why?" Monica asked as she opened both of her eyes to look at his concerned face.  
"Just come." Chandler said as he got up and took a robe off the back of her door and handed it to her. She took it lazily and slipped it on over her pink pajamas and looked up at his face again, trying to read his expression. Chandler took her hand silently and led her out the door and down the stairs, where Ross and his parents were dressed and ready to leave.  
"We're going to the bus station, the train station, anywhere we might be able to find her. You guys stay here and notify anyone that might be able to help. Call the bus station at 53rd and Madison and see if they might be able to catch her before she leaves." Ross said quickly.  
"What's going on?" Monica asked as she tightened her robe around herself.  
"Rachel took off. We don't know where she is or where she's going." Chandler filled in the silence.  
At that moment, Ross and his parents left, taking the car keys, and going to search for her.  
"What?" Monica asked in a hushed whisper  
"I don't know what else. Ross heard her leaving and he took off after her, but she was already gone or something." Chandler whispered.  
"She's gone?" Monica felt her eyes cloud over with tears.  
"I'm sorry sweetie." Chandler consoled her and wrapped her in a warm hug. Monica grabbed onto him tightly and tried to calm herself into his shoulder  
"Sh-she just left?" Monica asked suddenly.  
"Maybe she'll come back, or they'll find her. Maybe she just went grocery shopping." Chandler said as a small smile crept over his face.  
Monica giggled into his shoulder, but then turned serious. She looked up into Chandler's  
eyes and searched his face. He looked back down at her and leant in to kiss her softly. She leaned up and kissed him back slowly. Monica smiled and backed herself out of his hug.   
"Was that not okay?" Chandler asked her in a worried tone.  
"No, that was more than okay." Monica smiled as she blushed. "But it's just not the time."  
"I know." Chandler shook his head. "I'm sorry."  
"It's okay." Monica stood away from him nervously. There was a moment of silence as they both stared at their feet.  
"Is it me, or is there a lot tension here? Well, compared to when we weren't-um- together?" Chandler asked nervously.  
"Oh no, it's not just you." Monica said quickly.  
"Oh okay." Chandler said as another moment of silence followed.  
"You know-maybe she left a note up in her room." Monica said.  
"Who? Oh- we're talking about Rachel now. Okay. Yeah maybe." Chandler said quickly.  
Monica quickly turned around and ran full speed up the stairs and into Rachel's room. On her bed there were two pieces of folded paper. One said "Ross" and the other said "Monica."   
Monica picked up the envelope that had her name on it and began to read aloud to Chandler.  
"Dear Monica," She began. "You've been my best friend for so many years. You've always been there for me and I thank you for that, but my life is overpowering my senses now, and I can't live like that. I'm going away for a while, actually I don't know how long for, but remember that I love you. You are one of the only people in the world that understood me. Love your best friend, Rachel" Monica's face crumbled and she broke down in tears and Chandler hugged her fiercely. He led her down the stairs to the living room couch and turned on the TV in the background. He sat down on the couch and beckoned for her to come over. She nodded quietly and went to sit beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead as she started to slip off into a deep sleep.   
"Here." Chandler said as he laid her down across his lap. She mumbled a thanks and fell asleep immediately, as Chandler watched her breath in and out with a smile on his face.  
Chandler began to drift off about an hour later when suddenly the door opened. Monica jumped up quickly and scrambled off of Chandler's lap to go greet her brother at the door.  
"Well?" Monica asked eagerly as Chandler followed behind her.  
"We couldn't find her." Ross said dully.  
"Well, she has to be somewhere!" Monica began to panic.  
"We got to the bus station, and there was no one there. The bus for the train station had just left so we went there and we searched for her, we really did but the trains for Dallas, San Francisco, Boston and New Orleans had already left, and no other trains were coming in for another 2 hours." Ross explained   
"There's a note for you on her bed." Monica said quietly. Ross looked at her, shocked, and sprinted up the stairs and to Rachel's bedroom, picking up the piece of paper. He read it silently as his parents, Monica and Chandler stood at the door.  
"Ross,   
I know I was cruel to you before, but you made the past few days the easiest ever. You were so good to me, I wondered what I had done to deserve you. I never realized, but I was falling in love with you. It hit me like a train yesterday at the prom. You were dancing with all the seniors, and I was jealous. I mean, extremely jealous. That's when I knew I was falling for you. I can't have those feelings. At least, not yet. My whole family is gone, and I just need some time to breathe. This is not your fault Ross. I've been wanting to run away from everything-all my problems and fears for a long time. If I could take you with me, I would, but I just need to start over somehow. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, because I really do love you, and never wanted to hurt you. Love, Rachel  
Ross nodded slightly at the paper before tearing it up into tiny pieces. He looked down at the floor and scattered the small pieces around the bed. He then looked up at the glowing stars on the ceiling and blinked back tears. It had all happened so fast. He wished he could go back to the night before when he had tried to kiss her. He wished he could take it all back, but he couldn't. He squeezed past his parents and little sisters into the hallway and into his room, where he shut the door quietly as they watched him, expecting an answer that he didn't have.   
"We'll see what we can do in the morning." Judy said quietly as she and Jack headed for their own room.  
Monica nodded and followed suit, leaving Chandler alone in the hallway. He turned without a word and walked out the front door, not knowing his final destination.  
Monica collapsed onto her bed and pushed her pillow against her face to cover her sobs. "She really can't be gone, can she?" She thought to herself. The question rang over and over in her head until she fell into a troubled sleep.  
The next few days were hectic in the house. Ross came out of his room only to go to the washroom, Monica walked around as if she were a zombie, and Jack and Judy tried everything they could to find out where Rachel was.  
It was more than a week after Rachel disappeared when Chandler finally got his car back from the shop. He picked up his car and immediately drove over to Ross and Monica's place, where he had been every day since Rachel left. He jogged up to the house and knocked on he front door, where Monica opened the door. Her face immediately brightened when she saw him, and she gave him a kiss hello.  
"Come on in." Monica gestured.  
"Actually, I was kind of hoping we could go out for a drive. I got my truck back." Chandler said.  
"Well, it's almost 10, and tomorrow I have to go to school." Monica said, but gave in quickly when Chandler gave her the puppy eyes that drove her crazy.  
Monica ran into the house to get her coat and tell her parents that she was going out.  
"Where?" Judy questioned her.  
"Me and Chandler are just going to take a drive. He got his truck back." Monica said eagerly.  
"Okay. Be back by midnight, or the latest by one." She said.  
"Thanks mom!" Monica said as she ran out the front door and jumped into Chandler's arms.  
"Whoa." He said as he caught her and kissed her deeply.  
"Hi." She said as she motioned for him to put her back down.   
"Hi." Chandler smiled as he took her hand and led her to his truck, where he opened the door for her. He ran to his side and got in the truck.  
"So where exactly are we headed?" Monica asked him  
"Wherever we end up." He smiled as he turned on the radio just as one of his favorite songs began to play.  
  
Stars are out tonight  
And you're the brightest one shining in my sky.  
It's like very wish I ever made came true.  
The day I woke up lying next to you.  
  
Monica leaned over and put her hand on top of Chandlers. He turned and looked at her through the corner of his eye and smiled.  
Ross sat on his bed listening to the same song as he looked at a picture of Rachel in his high school yearbook.  
  
Will you be my best friend  
If I offer you my heart?  
'Cause it's already yours.  
We could hang out every night  
And watch the sun go down.  
As long as we could watch it rise again.  
  
Chandler pulled onto the highway and sped up as he turned up the volume on the radio. He began to sing along with the song as Monica joined in.  
  
Gave me a valentine  
It's these little things that stand the test of time.  
I've saved the tickets from the shows that we've been to.  
And a thousand other memories of you.  
  
Chandler pulled onto a vacant scenic overlook that looked over Manhattan.  
"Wow." Monica breathed. "It's beautiful."  
"Not as beautiful as you." Chandler whispered in her ear.  
Monica leaned over and kissed him passionately, aa he kissed her back. The windows on the car began to fog up, and Monica's hand roamed downwards and began to unbuckle his belt.  
"Have you done this before?" He asked her gently.  
She shyly shook her head no.  
"It's okay. I'll be gentle." He smiled at her.  
"Okay." She answered  
"Are you sure?" He asked her.  
"I've never been more sure of anything." She said breathlessly, as he kissed her again.  
  
Gave you this I.O.U. today.  
It said good for one galaxy.  
Once I build my rocket to the stars.  
We'll fly away just you and me.  
  
Ross angrily turned off his radio. Even the rock stations nowadays always played love songs. He wished that he could just listen to the music without hearing the words, but lately all he heard was the words, and nothing else.  
He stayed up watching TV until almost 3 o'clock when the front door opened and Monica came in silently, not noticing Ross watching her.   
"Hey what's wrong with you?" Ross asked as he watched her walk lopsidedly.  
"I'm- sore." Monica said quietly with a smile on her face.  
"Oh." Ross said disgustedly, not wanting to hear anymore. "At least someone's happy these days." He muttered to himself after she had disappeared up the stairs.  
He closed his eyes and fell asleep as he had before, sprawled across the living room couch.  
Monica woke up the next morning with a smile spread across her small face, and she bounded out of bed to get dressed and go to school. Even Mandy was leaving her alone now, and she suddenly had much more friends than usual. Everyone thought that Rachel was still resting at her house, so they would give her notes to give to her, and Monica would just sadly dump them together in a garbage bin when no one was around. Every day after school Chandler would come pick her up and they'd go for a drive together before he took her home for supper, which he most often stayed for. She was hoping that tonight they could go to the bluff where they had spent all last night trying to get comfortable with each other. The awkward phase had passed, and now they were better friends than they had been before, and they got to do all the little stuff that friends didn't do with each other. She pulled on a white tank-top and dark blue jeans, and reached for her earrings and sunglasses before she headed downstairs to have breakfast. She was still a little sore from the night before, but she thought that it was worth it.  
She bounced happily down the stairs and into the kitchen where her mom was making eggs and toast.  
"Hey mom." Monica chirped.  
"Someone's in a good mood this morning." Judy smiled. "What time did you get in last night?"  
"About one o'clock, maybe one thirty. We drove all around Manhattan and went to all these scenic bluffs. It was so beautiful that we lost track of time!" Monica said easily. She had been practicing her alibi all night.  
"Well, good to see that Chandler's picking your spirits up. He really is a good friend to you." Judy smiled.  
"Yeah." Monica smiled nervously. He mom still didn't know that she and Chandler were a couple, even though she had told Chandler that her parents knew.  
"Well, I'm off to work, but I made you breakfast so enjoy, and I'll see you later sweetie." Judy kissed her cheek and went to put on her shoes and coat, and headed out the door.  
Ross tossed and turned on the couch and Monica looked at him worriedly. His only good friend was Chandler, and she had taken Chandler away from him. He now spent most of his time alone watching TV and eating. He and Chandler had plans to get a job at a restaurant up the road, but Chandler had dismissed the idea when he had started dating Monica. Monica gulped down her breakfast and ran upstairs to use the washroom and brush her teeth before she left for school. She pulled on her jean jacket and went to kiss Ross goodbye.  
"Ross?" She said as she knelt beside him.   
"Hmm?" He asked tiredly.  
"I'm going to school now, okay? I'll see you later." Monica smiled at her older brother.  
He smiled back at her. "Bye Mon."   
Monica kissed him on the cheek and headed out the door. The sunlight shone down on her, so she pulled on her sunglasses and headed out on this warm day.  
  
The day went by quickly to Monica, who had received another four notes for Rachel. The end of the day bell rang, and she rushed to her locker, where a dozen people said hi to her. She couldn't believe how much had changed in a mere week. Last week she was a loser who spent the day in the bathroom crying, and now she was known around school, and everyone called her "the girl who's going out with the cute college guy." She had to agree with the last part. He was really cute. She stuffed her books in her bag, and slung it over her shoulder and looked into her locker mirror. She was eager to get outside to see Chandler.  
"Hey Monica." A voice came from behind her.  
"Hi Mandy." Monica said before she even turned around.  
"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for last week." Mandy said sincerely.  
"Well, thanks Mandy." Monica smiled to her.  
"You're awfully happy. Something happen with Chandler last night?" Mandy asked.  
"Well, not that it's any of your business, but yes." Monica said contemptuously.   
"Well, you have a reason to be happy. He's really good." Mandy nodded.  
"W-What?" Monica asked, shocked.  
"Oh, did he not tell you? He took me to that scenic overview--- uh the bluff in Long Island. It was uncomfortable, but we managed somehow." Mandy said.  
"What are you talking about? That's our place!" Monica said as she trembled.  
"He took you there too? What a bastard!" Mandy said.  
Monica slammed her locker door shut and ran out the front of the school, hoping that no one would see her crying and in this state.  
"Monica!" Chandler called out to her as she exited the building.  
"Not here, not in front of all these people." Monica muttered to herself as she kept walking, pretending not to hear.  
Chandler quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm, turning her around.  
"Hey." He smiled, but when he saw that she was crying he looked immediately concerned. "What's wrong?"  
"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG? I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WRONG!" Monica screamed at him as he was taken aback.  
"What's going on?" He asked quietly as he noticed a crowd forming around them.  
"You slept with Mandy." Tears began to pour from her eyes. "You-you pig." Monica began to run away but Chandler caught her.  
"Listen, I'm sorry."   
"That's all you can say? I lost my virginity to a guy who doesn't give a shit about me." Monica said, not caring who heard her.  
"I care about you so much." Chandler whispered to her.  
"Why'd you take me to that same spot?" Monica yelled at him. "Were you just seeing how many girls you could nail there?"  
The people around them stared open mouthed at the couple who had gotten together so romantically the week before at the prom.  
"It wasn't like that at all! I didn't care about Mandy that way, but I do care about you!"  
"Drop the act Chandler. It's getting old." Monica sobbed. "I thought you were someone else. I really did. I mean, you think that the first guy I ever kissed would be something special, but I guess I was wrong."   
"What?" Chandler barely whispered. "Monica, please don't go." He said in desperation as he grabbed her bag to prevent her from leaving. She threw her bag down to the floor.  
"Forget anything that happened between us. Forget that an us ever existed. I hate you, and I never want to see you again." She cried as she took off, leaving Chandler and her bag amongst strangers who laughed at him.  
Chandler looked at Mandy coldly and then back down at the floor in shame. How could he have ever let Monica go? The one girl that he had ever truly liked, he had chased away. He began to walk with his head down to his truck where Monica's perfume still lingered from the night before. He got in his truck and began to drive around, trying to chase his problems away. Hours went by and he was still driving around in circles, and he had come to find that he was going in circles around Monica's house. He finally stopped his car in front of her place and got a piece of paper out of her bag and began to write her a letter. Once he was done, he stuck it between her books and went up to the front door and dropped the bag carefully at the doorstep. He rang the doorbell and ran away and into the shelter of his car before anyone could see him. He began to leave when the front door opened and Monica peered out. Chandler watched as her beautiful face searched her surroundings before her gaze turned to the bag. Her face dropped and she picked it up and went back inside, not noticing Chandler's truck across the street. Chandler sighed and left. He had to go home sometime.   
Monica carried her backpack inside and up to her room and shut herself in. Her parents and brother had gone grocery shopping, and she had wanted to stay home and sulk. They knew that something was up, they just didn't know what was wrong with her.  
She pulled out her science book and a piece of paper fluttered out. She picked it up and recognized Chandler's sloppy handwriting immediately. She opened it and began to read.  
"Monica, I know I screwed up royally, but what you have to understand is that she started doing stuff to me, and I just- I couldn't stop her. My brain wasn't functioning properly, and I know this is a very common line, but if I could go back in time I wouldn't do it again. Monica, Don't run from me. Don't run from whatever you're feeling. You don't think that I was scared? I've been dating one wrong woman after another. It gets as easy as it does old. And suddenly, you're with someone who could be right? It's terrifying. I'll wait for you if you think that there's a chance we could do this over. I wasn't lying when I said I care about you. I've never felt this way before, and I'm willing to wait as long as it takes. Please think about this before you tear up or burn this letter. I know I've only known you for more than a week but I feel like we're soul mates, that we're connected at the core. I'm begging you to give me another shot. Please? Chandler."  
Monica smiled at the letter. He was right about one thing. She took a box of matches from her drawer and began to burn the letter. She smiled in satisfaction as the ashes began to drop to the floor. Maybe Chandler was the right one for her. She did feel phenomenal when she was with him, but maybe it was because he was her first boyfriend. Whatever the cause, she didn't feel as if she would ever be able to forgive Chandler. Ever.  
  
  
As usual, thanks to all the people who reviewed previous parts, and please review again! Give me suggestions, or tell me if I'm doing anything wrong, but please review!  
rossandrachelforever 


	4. Meet You There

Infinite Space, Part 4.  
  
Meet You There  
  
Monica sat on her bed as her eyes remained on the single picture on the opposite wall of her and Chandler at the prom. It was the only picture that had ever been worth putting up in her bedroom. Now, as she stayed in her bedroom for the fifth consecutive day, she began to realize what a fool she had been. Her curtains were drawn although it was four-o clock in the afternoon. Her room mirrored her own personal image and feelings, dark and lonely. The radio played loudly in the background to drown away her emotions, to take away all her thoughts and make her forget, for a few minutes at least.  
  
The time has come to say goodbye  
To all our past regrets  
I'm sorry to inform you  
But I doubt you'll really ever understand  
  
Friendships aren't built on false promises  
I've failed without defeat  
In this game of disrespect  
I'm a victim- a small town tragedy  
  
Monica slowly stood up and gazed at the dismal image of herself in the mirror. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face was gaunt, and her hair stuck out like straw.  
  
Here's to the difference between you and I  
I'll tell the truth and count my blessings  
So thanks for all you've done  
But I won't let you get the best of me.  
  
You think I'm just a kid but  
You don't fucking get it  
I'm strong in my convictions  
And don't you forget it  
  
She walked over to where the single picture stood positioned above her dresser, and took it down slowly, gazing longingly at the happy expression that she had worn on her face, not knowing that her boyfriend was a liar and double dealer.  
  
So many things are left unsaid  
But I won't even waste my time  
For us to go our separate ways  
I hope you miss me when I'm gone  
  
Friendships aren't built on false promises  
I've failed without defeat  
In this game of disrespect  
I'm a victim of small town rivalry  
  
She slowly ripped the picture down the middle, tearing Chandler's arm from around her waist. She dropped the two halves on the unusually messy floor, and raised her hollow eyes to the closed curtains.   
  
Farewell to all my friends  
With self respect intact  
Nothing will last forever  
Never looking back  
End is forever.  
  
She walked over and pulled the curtains apart as the song came to an end, and covered her eyes at the sudden light that crept in through the now open window.  
"I can't do this to myself." Monica whispered. "He's not worth it."  
Monica turned on her heels and walked straight out the door, and into Chandler.  
"What are you doing?" Monica hissed.  
"Going to the bathroom." Chandler pointed to the door that he was standing in front of.  
"Chandler? Oh god." Monica moaned and covered her face and hair. She quickly cut in front of him and slammed herself into the bathroom.  
"Okay." Chandler nodded to himself, as he turned around and walked back down the stairs to meet Ross.  
  
Two weeks Later, Monica burst through the front door, dropping her school bag on the hall floor.  
"I'm ho-ome!" Monica called out.  
"Hey Mon." Chandler said quietly as he appeared in the hallway in front of her.  
"Oh, hi." Monica said slightly coldly.  
Chandler sighed. "Ross went out for a minute. He needed to pick up something for your mom."  
"Okay." Monica gave him a cold glance and began to head up the stairs.  
"Mon, please don't turn your back on me again." Chandler pleaded.  
"Excuse me?" Monica asked as she turned around.  
"I don't want any enemies. Just friends. Can't you forgive me?"  
"Are you saying that I should justify what you did to me?" Monica asked slightly shocked.  
"I'm not saying that! Geez Mon, I just want you to recognize that it was a mistake, and I regret it so much." Chandler begged.  
"Okay." Monica flashed a smile. "I'll think about it." She began to continue her way up the stairs, where at the top of the stairs there was a single envelope addressed to Ross.  
"UCLA?" Monica asked herself.  
"Yeah, that came in the mail… I don't know what it is." Chandler answered.  
"Well… I'll-I'll just put it in his room." Monica lied as she picked it up.  
"Okay." Chandler answered simply as he turned around and went into the kitchen.  
Monica looked to make sure that he was gone before tearing open the letter, beginning to read it.  
"Hey, I'm back." Ross called out as he entered the front door. Monica stood at the top of the stairs, one hand covering her open mouth.  
Ross appeared at the bottom of the stairs, talking to Chandler who had also appeared from the kitchen. Monica turned her gaze to Ross, and launched down the stairs, full speed, tackling Ross and sending them both into the wall.  
"Aw shit!" Ross cried out as his head hit the wall and Monica began to strangle him. "What the hell's wrong with you, Mon?!" Ross cried out as his eyes began to water.  
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to UCLA?" Monica screamed at him, pausing long enough to wave the letter in his face.  
"CHANDLER!" Ross attempted to scream as his face began to turn purple.  
Chandler rushed over and tried pulling Monica off but she resisted and punched Chandler, hard. Chandler doubled over on the floor beside Ross as they both lay trying to catch their breath while Monica stood above them with a tear stained face.  
"I got in?" Ross asked in astonishment.  
"Yes you got in." Monica hit him again as hard as she could.  
Ross managed to push her off him and stood up, rubbing his head as Monica took a step back to catch her own breath. Chandler continued to sit huddled in the corner seeing stars as Ross took his letter and read it over.  
"Why didn't you tell me?" Monica began to cry. "I can't stand to lose you, Rachel and Chandler." Monica realized what she was saying as Chandler's eyes began to water over as he looked at her.  
"I'm sorry." Ross wiped tears from his eyes. "I've gotta get away from here."  
"I thought you were staying at NYU with me." Chandler mumbled.  
Monica quickly wiped her face as Chandler continued to watch her. She took one last glance at him and ran up the stairs, and slammed the door to her room as loud as she could.  
"I'll go talk to her." Ross and Chandler said at the same time. Ross smiled and helped Chandler up, and gave him a hug.  
"You're like a brother to me man. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Ross said sheepishly.  
"It's okay." Chandler shrugged his shoulders. "I gotta go. Tell her I'm sorry."   
"For what?" Ross asked.  
"Everything." Chandler said simply as he nodded a good bye and went out the door.  
  
Now you're gone  
I wonder why you left me here  
I think about it on and on again  
I know you're never  
Coming back  
But I hope that  
You can hear me  
I'm waiting to hear from you  
Until I do  
  
You're gone away  
I'm left alone  
A part of me is gone  
And I'm not moving on  
So wait for me  
I know the day will come  
  
I'll meet you there  
No matter where life takes me to  
I'll meet you there  
And even if I need you here  
I'll meet you there  
  
I wish I could have told you  
The words I kept inside  
But now I guess it's just too late  
So many things  
Remind me of you  
I hope that you can hear me  
I miss you  
This is good bye  
One last time  
And where I go you'll be there  
With me  
Forever you'll be right here  
With me  
  
I'll meet you there  
No matter where life takes me  
I'll meet you there  
And even if I need you  
I'll meet you there  
  
3 Months later.  
The end of summer had come, the ending of an amicable friendship, and the beginning of homesickness was about to dawn on Ross. He had said his good-byes that morning to his sister and Chandler, who had stood at the door to their house as they watched him go. He had given them hugs and promised to write. A lot had happened in 3 months. Although Chandler and Monica weren't exactly what you would call friends, they had a lot in common. They had both lost extremely important people in their lives. They had watched as Ross waved them one last goodbye and got in the car where their mom and dad would drive him to the airport so that he could catch his plane to LA. His parents hadn't taken the news well at all, but had told Ross that they'd try out his plan for a year, and if he felt better after that point, they had asked him to come back to NYU. "I LOVE YOU!" Ross yelled to his sister as he blew her a kiss. The tears started to fall as Monica signaled him a sign that read 'you too.' Ross got in the car and drove off, leaving Monica and Chandler alone at least until Thanksgiving.  
Monica turned around to see Chandler stood with tears in his eyes and they both smiled at each other's condition. Chandler reached over and wiped the tears away from Monica's cheek, and Monica leaned over and Chandler wrapped her in a big warm hug. Monica sobbed into his shoulder as they watched the car disappear out of sight.  
Several hours later, Ross got off the plane and was struck by the immense Californian heat. He sighed as he stripped off his jacket and flung it over his shoulder. This would be his home for quite a while now. He had already arranged a dormitory room, and was fortunate enough to win a draw for a single room. All he had to do was go pick up his luggage first. When he arrived in his room 2 hours later, he was surprised at the coolness. It was already furnished enough for him to make do. The room was almost completely white along with the bed sheets on the double bed. He had a billboard hanging off the back of his door, a small plush red chair, a white desk and a black swivel chair. Ross plunked down his two suitcases on the floor, and collapsed on his bed, getting up every two seconds to look around and let himself adjust to the new environment. He got up and looked out the window to see that he had an overview of the courtyard, surrounded by tall palm trees. He had always loved palm trees. They made it seem like he was in paradise. "Maybe that's what this is." Ross mumbled. "Paradise." He opened his suitcase and took out a pair of shorts and T-shirt. He tossed them on, and immediately went out to the courtyard to look around. He smiled and said a shy hello to every person who walked by except 2 guys who appeared to be drunk. He stepped outside and smiled as the afternoon sun hit his pale skin. As he walked across the courtyard, he let his eyes close as his face sat raised to the sun. Suddenly, he felt a round object under his feet and he went flying into a couple that was sitting on a bench under a tree. He opened his eyes suddenly, and was stunned by the sight in front of him. He took a deep breath and whispered a single word.  
"Rachel."   
  
Thanks for reading, and please leave a review! The more reviews the faster I write. The first song is "Song #13" by The Ataris, and the second song is "Meet you There" by Simple Plan. Next part comes pending reviews.  
rossandrachelforever 


	5. Time Comes Undone

Wow guys! It's been ages since I've continued this, but by popular demand (and some pushing and nagging) I've posted the next part. Please keep those reviews coming, I live on them!  
  
Time Comes Undone  
  
Rachel's eyes flew wide open, and she withdrew herself from her boyfriend's arms and stared at Ross in shock.  
"Rachel, honey you okay?" Her boyfriend asked but Rachel stood silent as a tear ran down her cheek.  
"What the hell are you doing here?" Rachel asked slightly angrily.  
"I didn't seem to have anything left in New York, so I decided to come out for University here." Ross answered in a choked up voice. He felt as though his legs would collapse from under him at any given second.  
"You have no right to be here!" Rachel said angrily before she stormed off, leaving Ross in a puzzled daze.  
"Hey! Hey!" Ross yelled at her as he ran after her. "You have absolutely NO right to be angry with me! You're the one who left! You know how worried I was about you?"   
"You're right, maybe I have no right to be angry, but the question would be why aren't you angry?" Rachel asked him in a huff.  
"I am. I hate you with all my heart for what you did, but it's hard to hate someone who you've loved for 7 years!" Ross said as she kept walking away from him in a hurry.  
"What?" Rachel stopped in her footsteps.  
"You heard me. What did you think all that stuff was about in your bedroom? Did you think I was like Chandler?" Ross asked.  
"What are you talking about? You obviously don't know what love is." Rachel responded as the tears continued to slide down her face.  
"Are you crazy? If there's one man out there who knows that meaning of the word love, it's me." Ross said.  
"Well, maybe that's why I ran away! I don't want anything! I don't want sympathy!" Rachel yelled as a small crowd began to gather around and watch.  
"Well, yeah I'm sure that's why you're doing so great here! I stumble into you making out with a guy my first 5 minutes on campus! I guess that explains a lot, doesn't it?" Ross fought to keep his voice steady, as he didn't want to lose his temper.  
"You have no right to analyze my life! I don't remember you being such a bastard when I last saw you." Rachel said angrily.  
"I don't ever remember you being this bitchy. Especially when you spent all of high school laughing and making fun of me." Ross' face was quickly turning red. Rachel had had enough. The tears were freely streaming now, and she took her hand and slapped him across the face. There was a chorus of 'ow's' from the crowd surrounding them. Ross absorbed the blow for a second and gave Rachel a cold hard stare that seemed to scare her.   
"Did it ever occur to you that I might have wanted to come here to get away from you Ross?" Rachel asked him softly.  
"I hope we don't ever see each other again then. I'm sorry for caring about you enough to give a damn." Ross threw at her coldly as a single tear slid down a cheek.  
Rachel looked down sadly as Ross parted his way through the crowd and made his way to the dorms.  
"Wait, Ross I'm sorry!" Rachel called out, but it was too late. Ross had already disappeared inside the building, away from her.  
  
Ross grabbed his stuff in a hurry and began to shove it back into his suitcases, desperate to be anywhere but here. He could call Monica up right this second and tell her he was coming home… there was no reason to be sad anymore. When Ross replayed the last thought over in his mind he fell onto the floor, sobbing miserably. How had a life so perfect… so… infinite become such a mess? He had worked hard all of his life… he had never worked as hard as he had to get here. To get to UCLA where the palm trees were supposed to erase all of his problems. This was the land of the stars after all. Ross took a minute to gather his breath and noticed he had left the door wide open. He got up and locked it, returning to his bed where he lay down in a mess of sweat and tears.  
  
"This is not what I want… this is not what I want!" Rachel said as she paced back in forth in the courtyard. The crowd had dissipated but everyone was still watching her. Rachel's boyfriend Jake watched her in horror… stunned by how his seemingly perfect girlfriend unraveled… all her mysteries had come alive.  
"My-my parents and sisters died in a car crash an-and… Ross… Ross is Monica's sister and Monica…" Rachel paused to smile slightly. "Monica is my best friend. I went to live with them and then Ross… I couldn't take it anymore, I just couldn't!" Rachel sobbed and Jake ran to pull her into his arms.  
"Shh… shh. It's okay sweetie. It's gonna be okay." Jake murmured in his ear.  
"It's not! It will never be okay, because he's here and that means that every time I see him I'm gonna remember my dead family and everything I left behind and it's—it's just too much!" Rachel continued to cry hysterically.  
"I don't hate him… I don't hate him. I had to leave because I was falling for him and I couldn't let that happen! I couldn't let him die in a car crash with our kids! I couldn't… I couldn't…" Rachel sobbed onto Jake's shoulders as he stroked her head comfortingly, with a troubled gaze on his own face.  
  
Wow that really took a long time! Thanks to all those people who reviewed and kept pushing me to continue this fic, especially Danny! Well anyhoo, sorry it's a bit short , but if you guys keep those reviews coming and keep pushing me, I'm sure the next part won't take as long as this one did;) Thanks to all you amazing people, Pathen11, goose4322, lebbythegreat, Alli, rnr forever (yeah!), Cassy, Tamara, Kathy, Cathy and everyone else who reviewed! Please don't forget to review again, ;)  
Barbara 


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